ABSTRACT
Ethylene as a gas would, of course, be difficult to handle in agriculture. Apart from limited uses of ethylene in greenhouses and fruit storage facilities, an application of the gas itself in agriculture is hardly possible. The plant hormone ethylene strongly influences nearly every developmental stage in plant growth, from germination to fruit ripening and senescence. The involvement of ethylene in the abscission processes is well documented and the mode of action is relatively well understood. Sex determination in monoecious plants is influenced by gibberellins and ethylene. Enhancement of fruit ripening by ethylene is one of the most widely investigated effects of the hormone. Enhancement of abscission is of interest in horticulture and agriculture in several ways. Ethylene-treated plants are thus stunted compared to untreated ones. Growth inhibition is of great interest in agriculture and horticulture. Other possible uses of ethylene-releasing compounds for growth inhibition are of minor importance in agriculture and horticulture.
